Inter Milan will be aiming to extend their impressive seven-game winning streak in the Serie A when they visit lowly Lecce at the Stadio Via del Mare on Sunday.
The Nerazzurri will be looking to rebound from their Coppa Italia elimination to Napoli midweek, with a positive result against relegation candidates Lecce that would see them close in on the league leaders.
Inter beat Lazio 2-1 last weekend to move into fourth place on the standings, six points adrift from league leaders Juventus. A victory over Lecce could possibly move Inter into third place, as they look to continue to escalate.
If the Nerazzurri stick to their normal game plan they should cruise to a comfortable victory over Lecce without even breaking a sweat as their opponents have been in disastrous form this season and are destined to return to the Serie B after two years in the Italian top-flight.
Lecce have yet to win a home game this season, and have only picked up a mere two points out of a possible 27 at the Stadio Via del Mare. As well as this, they have suffered the most losses this season, with twelve.
But despite their awful campaign so far, if they manage just a few wins they have the possibility to climb out of the drop-zone. Due to this, their clash with Inter is crucial as they fight for survival.
Inter will try their best to shrug off their Coppa Italia elimination to Napoli on Wednesday with a boosting victory that would extend their winning streak to eight matches. Claudio Ranieri's side may have struggled in Naples, but they have great chances of continuing their up rise in the league against a Lecce side that they have not lost against in their last nine encounters.
For the game, Ranieri will be unable to count with the services of Sulley Muntari, who is representing Ghana at the African Cup of Nations. While Diego Forlan, Dejan Stankovic and Coutinho still remain sidelined due to lengthy and recurring injuries.
The good news for Inter is that Lucio and Giampaolo Pazzini will be back in action after recovering from the flu and should begin the game from the kick-off.
Meanwhile, Serse Cosmi, the coach of Lecce, will have to deal with a selection nightmare, as no less than five of his players are out injured. These players are Moris Carrozzieri, Andrea Esposito, Manuel Giandonato, Luigi Falcone and Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Sergio.
Expect Lecce to play their hearts out, but despite their greatest intentions their desperation will likely play into the hands of a ruthless Inter outfit.
Inter beat Lazio 2-1 last weekend to move into fourth place on the standings, six points adrift from league leaders Juventus. A victory over Lecce could possibly move Inter into third place, as they look to continue to escalate.
If the Nerazzurri stick to their normal game plan they should cruise to a comfortable victory over Lecce without even breaking a sweat as their opponents have been in disastrous form this season and are destined to return to the Serie B after two years in the Italian top-flight.
Lecce have yet to win a home game this season, and have only picked up a mere two points out of a possible 27 at the Stadio Via del Mare. As well as this, they have suffered the most losses this season, with twelve.
But despite their awful campaign so far, if they manage just a few wins they have the possibility to climb out of the drop-zone. Due to this, their clash with Inter is crucial as they fight for survival.
Inter will try their best to shrug off their Coppa Italia elimination to Napoli on Wednesday with a boosting victory that would extend their winning streak to eight matches. Claudio Ranieri's side may have struggled in Naples, but they have great chances of continuing their up rise in the league against a Lecce side that they have not lost against in their last nine encounters.
For the game, Ranieri will be unable to count with the services of Sulley Muntari, who is representing Ghana at the African Cup of Nations. While Diego Forlan, Dejan Stankovic and Coutinho still remain sidelined due to lengthy and recurring injuries.
The good news for Inter is that Lucio and Giampaolo Pazzini will be back in action after recovering from the flu and should begin the game from the kick-off.
Meanwhile, Serse Cosmi, the coach of Lecce, will have to deal with a selection nightmare, as no less than five of his players are out injured. These players are Moris Carrozzieri, Andrea Esposito, Manuel Giandonato, Luigi Falcone and Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Sergio.
Expect Lecce to play their hearts out, but despite their greatest intentions their desperation will likely play into the hands of a ruthless Inter outfit.
